Doctor Doctor
by Jooles34
Summary: Owen and Ianto centred fic. Sparks fly when a dead man leads Owen and Ianto to a pretty librarian and a deadly alien. 1st chapter more Ianto, second is more Owen. Set middle-end of season one.
1. Chapter 1

_AN – I own nothing of Torchwood, but these are my words. This is written especially for my friend the Lovely Laura. I hope the Lovely Laura and her fellow Owen fans like it. Owen comes more into his own in chapter 2. All reviews sent happy vibes._

Jack, Owen, Gwen and Tosh sat in the boardroom. Jack put his hands flat on the table and addressed them.

"So what do we know?"

Gwen read from the file in her hands. "Victor Hughs, 64, was found on the Plass at 6.15 this morning."

Owen picked up the story. "He died within a minute of being found." He sighed. "There was nothing I could do for him."

Jack gave him a steady look. "But you tried. And you made sure he wasn't alone at the end." He paused, giving Owen a moment before bringing the doctor back on track. "What did you find out at the autopsy?"

Owen cleared his throat, the mask of detached professionalism taking over once more.

"He had a number of puncture wounds to his torso, but I haven't been able to determine what caused them. As for a cause of death, it appears to be poisoning of some sort. But the tests I've run haven't yet identified what the toxin was. It's not anything known to us already. Which also means that we don't know what sort of antidote we would need if anyone else suffers the same poisoning."

"Do you think the poison was administered through whatever caused the puncture marks?" Gwen questioned.

"I think it's safe to assume, yeah."

"Okay" said Jack, "What else?"

"Well," said Tosh. "There's this." She pressed a button on the computer consol in front of her. A sequence of three numbers, a decimal point, five more numbers and three letters appeared on the screen at the front of the boardroom.

"Just before he died the victim managed to tell us something. He gave us this code. We have no idea what it means. I have started running it through a code breaking programme, but it hasn't come up with anything yet."

As the four people stared at the screen in silence the boardroom door opened and Ianto walked in carrying a tray of coffees. He handed them out to his colleagues and glanced up at the screen.

"One of you actually has a library membership?" he asked.

The rest of the team looked at him confused.

"That number up there." Ianto pointed at the screen. "It's the reference number for a book. Dewey Decimal System? The 57 at the beginning denotes it being biochemistry." He looked embarrassed briefly. "I'm afraid I would have to look up exactly what specific area the other numbers donate, biochemistry was never my thing. But, the fact that there are five digits after the decimal point means that it is quite a specific subject."

Jack gave Ianto one of his best smiles "Nice one Ianto. Remind me to congratulate you properly later."

Ianto blushed. He still didn't really know what was going on with Jack, but he wished he wouldn't be so obvious in front of the others.

Tosh had turned back to the computer, typing the numbers and letters into a library search programme.

"There's only one library in Cardiff that has this book, so I suggest we start there. It's in the archive at Cardiff University."

"Okay" said Jack, "we have somewhere to start. Owen, take the SUV and go and find the book."

Ianto leapt in as Owen stood up. "Jack. Why is Owen going, not me? Archives are my thing."

"Okay then you can go. Both of you."

"No, Jack." Both men said at the same time.

"Don't argue, go." Owen and Ianto glared at each other then at Jack. "Go!" he said again. As the two younger men made to leave Jack took the SUV keys out of his pocket and passed them to Ianto.

With a look of triumph in his eyes Ianto tossed the keys in the air to taunt Owen. The doctor was quick though and plucked the keys out of the air. He gave Ianto a humourless smile and left the board room.

Ianto caught up with him and the pair could be heard bickering as they left the Hub. Jack looked at the two women.

"Does anyone else feel like the mother of small boys with those two sometimes?" he said, making Gwen and Tosh laugh.

"Right. Let's carry on. Tosh, I want you to stay here and get more info about the archive to Owen and Ianto. And see if you can stop them killing each other before they get there. Gwen, you're with me. We're going to hit the street, see if there's any word about this out there."

******

Ianto sat in the SUV sulking and holding the sides of his seat in a death grip as Owen swung the SUV around Cardiff's busy streets. With a quiet beep the comms opened and they could hear Tosh's voice.

"I've got some info for you. The archive is run by Dr Gerry Patterson. I'm going to call him now and have him evacuate the building in case there's anything dangerous there. I'll ask him to meet up with you, then you can get him out of there too."

"Thanks Tosh." Ianto said, just before letting out a loud cry as Owen narrowly missed the car in front of him as they swerved in and out of the traffic.

******

Somehow they arrived at the library in one piece and headed inside. Tosh had done her job well and the place was deserted. They walked to the main counter and saw a pretty blond woman sitting behind it.

"I thought everyone was told to leave?" Owen muttered to Ianto, before addressing the woman. "We're looking for Dr Gerry Patterson."

"That's me." said the woman. Coming out from behind the counter she shook hands with both men. Neither Owen or Ianto were doing very well at disguising their surprise. Far from being the middle aged man, with the middle age spread they had both assumed Gerry Patterson would be, they were facing a woman in her mid-twenties who had all the right curves in all the right places.

"Don't worry, I get it all the time." She smiled, looking at their faces. "My fault really, just hate the name Geraldine, so always go by Gerry. Now how can I help you and why did I have to send all my staff and students home?"

"We're looking for a book." Ianto said. "We have the Dewey code for it and we believe it is in your archive."

"What's the number?" asked Gerry turning to the computer. Ianto told her and her fingers flew quickly over the keyboard as she searched for the book.

"You're right, it is down stairs. Now I see the title, I remember it. Been a bit of interest in this book lately. There was a man in here the last few days looking at this book."

"Really?" said Ianto. "Can you tell us more?"

Owen interrupted him. "To save time Ianto, why don't you go down and find the book, after all achieves are your thing, and I'll stay here and find out what Dr Patterson knows." He smiled at Ianto. The Welshman glared back at him and turning on his heels headed for the stairs. Owen's voice floated behind him.

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Dr Owen Harper, and that's my assistant Ianto Jones."

Ianto kept walking, refusing to give Owen the satisfaction of rattling him.

Once down in the archive Ianto discovered that it was well maintained and like any good library things were in perfect order. Ianto felt safe around books and order, this was where he excelled. The Owens of this world could have the action and the fights, just give him a well ordered filing system any day.

Ianto pulled his gun out from his waist band. He still wasn't used to wearing it and found it uncomfortable. He put it down on a nearby desk and started scanning the shelves for the numbers he was looking for.

It didn't take him long to follow the numbers through the library shelves to find the book. He rested it on an empty section of shelf and started flicking quickly through the pages, wondering how obvious whatever they were looking for would be. He touched his hand to his blue tooth ear piece.

"Owen?"

The two way comms opened and Ianto could hear laughing in the background. He scowled to himself.

"Owen. I've found the book."

"Anything special about it?"

"Doesn't look like it. Wait!"

Owen listened as Ianto's voice became more animated. Owen was interested in spite of himself.

"On the back pages, there's something written. A lot of letters and numbers, symbols. Looks like chemical symbols."

"Read them out to me."

Own listened as Ianto read them out. He started to recognise them.

"It's a compound. Sounds like it's the ingredients for something, maybe some sort of drug or…" He paused, ideas coming to him. "Maybe it's the antidote to the poison the old man died from."

"That would make sense" Ianto said. "If I had been poisoned I think my last words might be something to do with…"

Ianto suddenly stopped talking. Through the comms Owen could hear what had made him pause. A sound,, like a thousand hollow twigs quivering together, was getting closer to Ianto. In the library he turned round and his eyes opened wide at the sight in front of him.


	2. Chapter 2

_**AN**__ – I am so sorry about the cheesy ending – although I not-so-secretly like it ;o) Review to tell me different!_

"Owen," Ianto said, fear starting to creep into his voice.

"What is it Ianto?"

But Ianto couldn't find the words to describe what was in front of him. The creature was humanoid in shape, but that was where the similarity ended. It was at least seven feet tall with the black eyes and the face of a rodent. The front of its body was covered in a coarse looking purple-grey fur. But that wasn't what concerned Ianto. What concerned him was the layer of foot-long purple quills that covered the back of the creature from the head down. They were laid flat but as the creature approached Ianto they quivered and started to rise like a dog's hackles.

"Owen!" Ianto shouted it this time, reaching into his waistband for his gun. But of course it wasn't there. Ianto left the book on the shelf and turned to fully face the creature, making sure that he was between this giant porcupine and the book. He knew that whatever was in the book something had killed for it, someone had died for it, and he would protect it with his own life if that's what it came to.

Owen shouted at the librarian to stay where she was and drawing his gun he raced for the stairs. Gerry gave him a five second head start before ignoring everything he had said and chasing after him. If something was happening in her library she was damn well going to know about it.

Ianto stood firm as the creature came towards him. Reaching behind him, he felt his way along the shelf of books. He let his fingers search out the thickest book and he pulled it out, holding it in front of him like a shield. He knew he had to do whatever he could to make sure the quills didn't touch him.

Owen raced around the corner in time to see Ianto struggling with a creature much bigger than him. He appeared to be trying to defend himself with a book. Owen knew instinctively that it wouldn't be the book they had come for; for all the grief Owen gave him he knew Ianto was smarter than that.

Before Owen could react the creature shoved hard against Ianto. The young man was thrown backwards against the metal shelves behind him and his head stuck them hard. Owen could only watch as Ianto's eyes rolled back in his head and he fell to the floor unconscious.

Owen and the creature saw the open book on the shelf behind Ianto at the same time. Owen had been right. Ianto had been protecting it. Owen raised gun, took aim and fired. Then gun caught, jammed. Owen squeezed the trigger again, but still nothing. The creature turned its attention away from the book and onto Owen. He swallowed and took a step back as the creature advanced on him.

He kept retreating back through the archive, looking for a way out, trying to think of an escape. He suddenly found himself backed against a table, his escape cut off.

"Oi!"

Owen looked over to his left at the direction of the shout. Gerry was standing there.

"I told you to stay upstairs."

"It's my library." Gerry said firmly "And you clearly need the help."

She was right. The creature was still advancing on Owen, and the desk he was backed up against wasn't getting any easier to walk through. Gerry shouted again.

"Oi!"

"Will you stop that?" Owen snapped. Though it clearly wasn't making any difference as the creature was dangerously close to him now. But it suddenly stopped, its head lurching forward. The very large book that Gerry had thrown at the creature's head clattered to the ground.

The creature turned now to look at Gerry. This gave Owen time to look around him to see what he could find to use as a weapon. His eyes lit up as he spied Ianto's gun lying on the desk.

He snatched it up and pointed it at the creature, but before he could take a shot the creature retaliated against the assault from Gerry. The creature's body shook momentarily and it shot a raft of quills from its back towards her.

Gerry tried to duck but wasn't quite quick enough. While some of the quills sailed harmlessly past her a large number struck her in the side and crying out she fell to the floor.

Owen spared the woman quick glance as his face hardened. Keeping his aim on the creature that was once more walking towards him, he squeezed the gun's trigger and emptied the whole clip into the purple being. Owen held his breath as the creature slowly fell to the floor, then remained there, unmoving.

Owen glanced between Gerry and Ianto, quickly trying to decide who needed his help first. Before he could make a move Ianto started to stir on the floor. Owen called out to him as he ran over to Gerry, who still hadn't moved.

"Ianto? Ianto mate? Are you okay?"

"Ah. Yeah. Think so. Will be. Cracking headache though."

"Okay. Gerry's been hurt. Get that book, we have to go."

Kneeling down next to Gerry he put one hand on her head and grasped her wrist with the other to take her pulse. He assessed her body with his eyes in an entirely different manor to how he had done just a short time ago. While his hands and eyes examined Gerry he spoke to her.

"Gerry love. Can you speak to me? How do you feel?"

Gerry groaned, her eyes fluttering open. "It hurts. It really bloody hurts."

Owen gave her a small smile. "Okay, hurts is good. Sorry, but it is. Means everything's still working. Let me help you up."

He helped Gerry to her feet while watching Ianto out of the corner of his eye. Ianto was just finding his own feet and was picking up the book, holding it close to him. Gerry swayed then and Owen caught her before she fell to the floor. Her face had now drained of colour and her eyes were glazing.

"Ianto come on!" he shouted, picking Gerry up in his arms. Carrying her, he ran over to the stairs and climbed them two at a time, listening for Ianto coming up behind him. He ran out of the library, still carrying Gerry, and headed for the SUV.

Ianto joined him at the black car and Owen watched as he shook his head a couple of times, trying to clear the remaining fog. It wasn't ideal, but Owen was going to have to get him to drive so he could help Gerry.

He handed the keys to Ianto then helped Gerry into the back seat.

"Give me the book Ianto and get Tosh on the comms. Then get us back to the Hub as quickly as you can." Ianto still looked very pale, but Owen just had to trust that he could get them back safely.

Owen climbed into the back seat next to Gerry. He shifted her as gently as he could so that she was leaning back against him. Ianto threw the car into gear as Tosh's voice came over the comms.

"Owen, Ianto? What have you got for me?"

"Tosh," Owen's tone made it clear that he needed to be listened to. "The librarian has been injured. I think it's the poison. We have what I think is the antidote and I need you to make it up for me by the time we get there."

"Tell me what it is and I'll get it done."

Owen read out the list of instructions from the book. He knew that if anyone could make it happen it would be Tosh, he just hoped that these random scribblings in the back of this book were indeed what they needed.

"Tosh" Ianto spoke up "Are Jack and Gwen back?"

"No. I've heard from them though. They haven't found anything. I'll patch you through. Tosh out."

"Ianto!" Jack's voice boomed into the SUV "What you got for me?"

"An injured archivist and a dead…" Ianto paused, searching for the right word "porcuman alien. We have the archivist, but we need you to get back to the library and deal with the porcuman."

"Shouldn't it be me giving the orders to you?"

"Jack, we need to get her back to the Hub now. I don't have time to argue. Oh. And don't touch the quills."

The empty silence that greeted him displayed Jack's shock at being spoken to like that, but there were no arguments.

Owen was trying to figure out how to help the young woman in his arms before they got back to the Hub. He remembered that the puncture wounds in the old man's body had been straight wounds. Assuming it was these quills that had given the man his injuries Owen knew that there were no barbs or hooks on the end and the size of the wounds meant that it would be safe to remove them from Gerry's body. It may prevent more poison being released into the woman.

"Gerry. I'm sorry but this is going to hurt, but I need to do this, okay?"

Gerry nodded. Her head was resting on Owen's shoulder and Owen brought his arm around her stomach on her uninjured side to hold her tighter against him. Her arm curled under his and reached up to grip his shoulder. With his other hand he took a tight grip on one of the quills.

"Ready?" he said.

She nodded again. He pulled the first quill out. Owen felt her body stiffen in pain, but she didn't cry out. Gerry's other hand now gripped Owen's knee and the grip became firmer as Owen pulled quill after quill out of the woman's body.

Then, finally, they were at the Hub. Ianto stopped by the invisible lift and helped Owen get Gerry out of the car and onto the lift. He then jumped back in the SUV and drove it to the underground car park.

As they were lowered into the Hub Owen shouted to Tosh.

"Do you have it ready?"

"Yes it's here. In the medical bay."

Owen carried Gerry down to the medical bay where Tosh waited. She had outdone herself by not only making the compound, but filling a syringe with the mixture. Owen lay Gerry down on the medical bed and quickly hooked her up to the monitors. Her blood pressure was dangerously low and her pulse was thready and irregular.

Owen and Tosh both looked up briefly as Ianto walked back into the Hub. He walked over and joined them in the medical bay, sitting down heavily on the concrete steps.

The doctor gently pushed the needle into Gerry and injected the mixture into her neck. He turned his eyes to watch the monitors. Gerry's blood pressure slowly started to rise and her pulse became steadier and stronger. Owen blew out a sigh of relief. He looked at her, smiling.

"I think you're going to be fine."

Gerry smiled weakly back at him. "Thank you."

Assured that Gerry was mending with the help of Tosh and the antidote, Owen now turned his attention to Ianto. Walking over to the other man, he gently lifted up his face. Ianto let him. Owen looked at the Welshman's eyes. The pupils were equal and reacting to light so there was no major head injury, just mild concussion by the looks of things. Owen then examined the back of Ianto's head. There was a nasty gash that had been bleeding. Owen reached for tray of cleaning materials and some steri-strips. Carefully cleaning Ianto's head wound Owen spoke gently to him.

"You did well today mate. Really well. We got what we went for, saved a life, and have got the know-how to save more if we come across those things again. And, we've got a gorgeous girl back in the hub to boot."

Ianto smiled in spite of himself. "Thanks" he muttered. He rarely went on missions outside the Hub and as much as he hated to admit it, Owen's words meant a lot.

By the time Owen had finished cleaning and closing Ianto's head wound and the young man had disappeared into the security of his own archives to make notes of the porcuman and the antidote, Gerry was feeling much better and was sitting up on the bed, legs hanging off the side. She was watching Owen move around the small medical bay with a smile on her face. Tosh knew what was coming next and left them to it, heading back to her computer. She called Jack on the comms and started working with him to cover up the day's events.

"So Doctor Harper" Gerry asked Owen. "What's next for me?"

"Well Doctor Patterson, You have responded well to the treatment, but I think there are some precautions you should take."

Owen walked over to Gerry and she reached out to take his hands and pull him closer.

"What sort of precautions?" she asked, a flirtatious smile playing across her face.

"Well, I think you should spend some time under a doctor."

Owen smiled wickedly and moved in to kiss the pretty librarian.


End file.
